Ten
by Alukonis
Summary: A Tenth Walker joins the Fellowship of the Ring - with disastrous, unforeseen consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N: Author does not hold copyrights to any characters from the Lord of the Rings books or movies. Characters are used here for purposes of parody. Any resemblance of OC's to persons living or dead is unintentional and coincidental.]**

The Third Age: Sauron, the dark lord, the Shadow, the corrupter, had discovered that the One Ring had been found. He had sent his most deadly servants, the Nazgul, to retrieve it, so that he could finally spread his darkness across all of Middle Earth. However, Gandalf the Grey had warned Frodo Baggins, who had the Ring, that he must take it and flee to Rivendell, where Sauron's power could not reach. Now, Frodo and his companions had almost reached the haven of Rivendell. Frodo had been wounded by the Nazgul, and was slowly becoming a wraith himself as the sliver of cursed sword left in the wound slowly worked its way toward his heart. Glorfindel, an Elf Lord, had come to assist the travelers to Rivendell. He had put Frodo on his horse, and sent him galloping alone to the ford that marked the boundary of Elrond's power. Frodo, fighting with the surprising inner strength that Hobbits seem to possess, resisted the call of the Ringwraiths as he raced for the ford, where he would turn and defy them-

_/the universe bends, warps, shifts..../_

Arwen had come to help the travelers make it to Rivendell, and she rode double with Frodo, who was incapable of doing anything because of the sliver of cursed sword that was left in his wound to slowly work its way into his heart and turn him into a wraith. The wound was quickly overpowering him and he was incapable of speech or movement, and was near death. Arwen turned once she crossed the ford, and defied the advancing Nazgul, summoning the water to sweep them away-

_/the universe bends, warps, shifts.../_

Suethoriel, clutching Frodo's limp, nearly dead body, summoned the water forth to sweep away the Nazgul. They were crushed by the rushing water, carried far downstream - but were not defeated. They would return to their master and take new forms, to pursue the Ring again. Suethoriel quickly took Frodo to Rivendell, where she would heal him. She had long flowing hair and wore extremely pretty clothes that were shiny, but not girlie. Suethoriel wore pants because unlike other females, she was a warrior, and warriors wore pants. Tight, sparkly sky-blue leather pants, with knee-high dark blue sparkly suede boots and a tight dark blue top that showed some cleavage. Although Aragorn was supposed to be in love with Arwen, and although Arwen was supposed to be the most beautiful elf, Suethoriel was really who Aragorn loved. In fact, Arwen also loved Suethoriel more than Aragorn. Unfortunately for both of them, Suethoriel was about to meet the elf that would actually be allowed to love her. Also, Suethoriel was half-elf, with crystal cobalt blue eyes and fiery deep red hair, which was unusual for an elf but not for a half-elf named Suethoriel. She was also amazing with a bow, and also was a master of the sword, and she also had an ancient elven blade that glowed blue when orcs were near. Also, she wore mithril armor. Also, Gandalf taught her some magic and thought of her as a daughter. Elrond also thought of her as a daughter. She wasn't Elrond's daughter, but he wished she was. Sometimes Elrond got a vague feeling that he was supposed to love Arwen more than Suethoriel, but he couldn't think why.

Frodo was healed, and was summoned to a secret Council. The Council would decide what to do with the Ring. Suethoriel was there, and Legolas of Mirkwood instantly fell in love with her, because she was so damn beautiful. This was fine because since Suethoriel was half elf, she would stay young and beautiful just as long as he did. Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor, also fell in love with her, but because he wasn't as pretty as Legolas he stood no chance. Gimli the dwarf also fell in love with her, but like a brother, because dwarves are short and hairy and only fall in love platonically and are mostly there to deliver witty one-liners about being short. Of course all the Hobbits already practically worshiped Suethoriel, especially Frodo, because without her he absolutely would have been killed by the Nazgul.

After a lot of shouting and arguing, and Boromir talking about some lame dream he had that really wasn't important because Suethoriel wasn't in it, they finally decided that the Ring must be destroyed. However, the only way to destroy the Ring was to throw it into the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged, which lay in the heart of Mordor. An argument erupted over who should take the Ring to Mordor, for it was not only the heart of Sauron's dark kingdom, but distant, with many perils before one could reach it. Furthermore, the Ring itself was evil, and would surely tempt whoever had it to use it, which would alert Sauron to its presence.

"I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though... I do not know the way," Frodo finally said.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf said.

"If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword," Aragorn pledged.

"And you have my bow," Legolas added.

"And my axe," said Gimli, not to be outdone.

Boromir looked skeptical, but agreed. "You carry the fates of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

The other Hobbits, who had not been invited to the council, burst in on the scene. "Here! And Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" Sam exclaimed.

"No, indeed!" replied Elrond. "It is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not."

"Oi! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" shouted Merry.

"Anyway," said Pippin, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing."

"Well that rules you out, Pip," joked Merry.

Elrond ignored their banter. "Nine companions... So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring. Nine of you, against the Nine Ringwraiths."

Suethoriel stood dramatically. "I, too, shall accompany you. My sword and my bow will protect you!"

Elrond, who impossibly enough seemed to have forgotten Suethoriel's presence, began to say that she could not go - not only did he love her as a daughter and want to protect her, but that the Fellowship should be nine, the same as the Nazgul, was-

_/the universe bends, warps, shifts.../_

Elrond nodded. "But of course, Suethoriel. Ten companions... So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring. Ten of you, against the Ten Ringwraiths."

Suethoriel looked at Elrond blankly. "TEN Ringwraiths?"

*******

Sauron looked over his servants and scowled. They had been close, so close, to having the Ring in their grasp, but they had failed. They would try again - all that mattered was getting the Ring before anyone had a chance to use its power to challenge him. He had to crush Gondor decisively, beyond all hope of recovery. Minas Tirith was proving a difficult nut to crack, but his armies were growing, and with Rohan occupied with the fool Saruman, they would be unable to resist the might of Mordor.

"My lord, we need new steeds, new forms," hissed the head of the Nazgul, the Witch-King of Angmar.

"My power has grown, and continues to grow," Sauron replied, not without a touch of smug satisfaction as he granted the request. "Now you shall menace the skies, and bring death to those who would dare to defy my power! Bring me Baggins! BRING ME THE RING!"

The nine Ringwraiths bowed, and-

_/the universe bends, shifts, warps.../_

The ten Ringwraiths bowed, and fled their master's presence to collect their steeds and pursue the Ring anew.

"...ten?" Sauron said to himself, then blinked. There had always been ten Nazgul. The rings of power made for men had always numbered ten.

The Witch-King mounted his vile winged steed and signaled-

_/the universe shifts, bends, warps.../_

The Witch-Princess of Angmar mounted her vile winged steed and signaled her father, the Witch-King of Angmar, to fly. Unlike the other Nazgul, she did not look like a ghostly corpse. She looked young and beautiful, with long shiny black hair, glittering jet black eyes, and clothes that were somehow black and shiny at the same time. She could smell the One Ring better than any of the Nazgul, was more ruthless, and had an evil intelligence to rival Sauron's. Of course she, like the other Ringwraiths, was Sauron's terrible and loyal servant - but she knew Baggins was not to be underestimated, especially with such powerful help as he had.

The Nazgul rode screeching into the sky. The Princess turned her face into the wind and inhaled deeply. "There..." she hissed in a chilling voice, and the Ringwraiths wheeled in the sky as she led them west.


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Author does not hold copyrights to any characters from the Lord of the Rings books or movies. Characters are used here for purposes of parody. Any resemblance of OC's to persons living or dead is unintentional and coincidental.]**

The Fellowship traveled south, paralleling the Misty Mountains. Many days passed, and though the travelers were weary from walking through the empty land south of Rivendell, and from their need to ration food, Boromir gave Merry and Pippin lessons in swordsmanship when they stopped to rest. The man of Gondor had taken it upon himself to teach the Hobbits, who were peaceful people. They had somehow gotten Hobbit-sized swords from the elves in Rivendell, and Boromir intended to make sure they didn't stab themselves in the foot when trying to use them, which would most likely happen with Merry and Pippin, as both were incredibly foolish and childish.

As Boromir sparred with Merry and Pippin, he accidentally hit Merry's hand with his sword, and -

_/the universe warps, shifts, bends.../_

As Suethoriel sparred with Merry and Pippin, she accidentally hit Merry's hand with her sword, and although she quickly apologized, both of the Hobbits turned on her instantly. They tackled her and she fell, laughing, as they seemed to attempt to hug her to death.

Legolas looked on, chuckling softly. Suethoriel was so kind, teaching the Hobbits how to use their swords. He occasionally got the nagging feeling that perhaps Boromir, with his years of combat experience against the orcs of Minas Morgul, might have been a better tutor. This was pure folly, though, as Suethoriel was superior to Boromir with a blade. Also, Legolas found he had difficulty thinking straight when he saw her laughing, the sun shining on her brilliant red hair, her eyes sparkling. She looked beautiful even when on the ground being attacked by Hobbits!

Legolas decided to rescue her, but when he tried, they also turned on him, flipping him over despite his natural elvish grace. He and Suethoriel lay on the ground together, laughing, with sparkles and little hearts dancing above their heads. Metaphorically speaking.

Then Sam, who had been looking into the sky, noticed a dark shadow against the clear blue.

"What is that?"

"Just a whiff of cloud," Gimli said, too busy trying to decide if it would be too awkward to join the Hobbit/Elf dogpile or not to pay much attention.

"It's moving fast, against the wind," said Boromir, concerned.

Legolas was lying on the ground, too distracted to be aware of what was going on. However, Suethoriel had leapt to her feet when Boromir spoke.

"Crebain, from Dunland!" she cried. "Spies of Saruman! Quickly, hide!"

They all dove underneath rocks, hiding any trace of their presence.

"Well done, Suethoriel," Gandalf whispered to her. "Only you could have spotted the threat in time to save us."

"And now, Gandalf? We cannot make for the Gap of Rohan," Suethoriel whispered back. "And I have a bad feeling about the mines of Moria. I think that Caradhras is our best chance."

Once the birds had passed, Gandalf announced that the way south was closed, and they would have to attempt the pass of Caradhras.

*******

The Witch-Princess of Angmar sat upon her winged steed, perched at the top of Cirith Ungol. From here she could look down and see Minas Morgul, which glowed sickeningly in the darkness, her father's evil city.

She could feel the pull of the Ring, even at this distance. It was faint, very faint, but she felt sure that as soon as whoever now held it put it on, whether Baggins or some filthy elf, the scent would grow strong again.

Despite Sauron's growing power, they had discovered that they had still not regained enough strength to venture out of Mordor. The Princess was stronger than the others, but even she did not dare to leave the limits of Sauron's power until fully recovered. Any battle they now had must be quick and decisive, with the Nazgul overpowering whoever had the Ring before they could escape or summon more help. And Sauron had decided that he wanted Baggins alive - relatively speaking.

Her father flew up from the dead, rotting valley below, bringing his steed to perch beside hers.

"The puppet Saruman will keep them occupied for now," the Witch-King of Angmar said. "Our job is to prepare to crush whoever attempts to oppose Lord Sauron as a rival. Come, we have work to do."

The Princess nodded. "I cannot help but wonder, though," she said, her voice high, chilling, deadly, and lovely. "Will there be a rival?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if they do not use the Ring? What if they hide it, or cast it into the ocean? What if..."

"What if WHAT? Without the power of the Ring, Minas Tirith will fall, Rohan will be overrun, and the forests of the elves will become desolate wastelands! They have no other option!" he screeched. "Even if they wish to cast it away, no one could resist that much power, or risk us finding it!"

_/the universe bends, warps, shifts.../_

The Princess turned her icy gaze upon him. "What if they decide to destroy it?"

*******

The Ten Walkers struggled up the snowy slopes of Caradhras. Legolas and Suethoriel walked on top of the snow, though the others were forced to wade through it. Aragorn and Boromir carried the Hobbits, for the snow was so deep that they would have been completely buried.

Suethoriel was worried about Boromir. Earlier, Frodo had slipped on the wet, icy snow and the chain that held the ring on his neck had become unfastened. Boromir had picked it up, and Suethoriel thought that the Ring still weighed heavily on his mind. She would have to watch him, lest he be seduced by the Ring's dark power.

Then her keen ears picked up a strange sound. "I hear fell voices in the air!" she yelled through the blizzard.

"It is Saruman!" Gandalf cried. The former leader of the White Council, now a servant of Sauron, had summoned the blizzard to hinder their passage over the mountain. Apparently, Saruman was capable of knowing where they were even though they had evaded the crebain.

The snow buried them, and they frantically dug themselves out. Suethoriel sprang up onto the snow and pulled Gimli and the Hobbits out of the snow.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city!" Boromir yelled over the whistling wind.

"No!" cried Suethoriel. "That will take us too close to Isengard, and Saruman's power!"

"If we cannot go over the mountain, then let us go under it! Let us make for the mines of Moria!" Gimli said.

Suethoriel and Gandalf exchanged a look. They knew what could be waiting for them in Moria.

"Let the Ringbearer decide," Gandalf said.

Frodo looked fearfully at his companions, blue with cold. He looked at Suethoriel, and she gave him an encouraging smile. As if drawing strength from her, he said, "We will go through the mines."

"So be it," said Gandalf.

"Aymäy Eruyäy uidegäy usyäy," Suethoriel muttered to Legolas.

"What?" Legolas said, surprised.

"It's Elvish," Suethoriel said.

Legolas gave her a sidelong look. "No, Elvish is..."

_/the universe shifts, warps, bends/_

"Aymäy Eruyäy uidegäy usyäy," Suethoriel muttered to Legolas.

"Ewäy ancäy onlyäy opehäy," Legolas replied.

**[A/N: Cirith Ungol as referred to here is the pass, not the watchtower on the other side of it. For "Elvish" translation, google "pig latin"****]**


	3. Chapter 3

Night had fallen when they reached the entrance to the mines of Moria. Suethoriel eyed the wide pool in front of the hidden door with distaste. She could sense something evil about it, and shivered, hoping that Gandalf would hurry up and find the door so they could escape that eerily dark, flat lake.

"What is it, Suethoriel?" Legolas asked, laying a hand on her arm.

"I do not like the look of that water," she replied, covering his hand with her own, gratefully. "Loath though I am to go under the mountains, far from the light and stars, I do not wish to linger here."

Legolas smiled slightly, his clear blue eyes lingering on Suethoriel's face. The moon emerged from behind the clouds, bathing her face in a soft glow. Behind them, there were soft gasps as the door to Moria appeared under the moonlight. Remembering themselves, they quickly stepped apart, a light blush playing over Suethoriel's cheeks.

"It reads 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. speak, friend, and enter,'" Gandalf said, translating the inscription above the door.

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you're a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open," Gandalf explained. Turning to the doors, he cried "Ategäy ofyäy ethäy Elvesyäy openyäy ownäy orfäy emäy!"

Nothing happened. Gandalf frowned and tried again. "Oorwaydäy ofyäy ethäy Arfdwäy-olkfäy, istenläy otäy ethäy ordwäy ofyäy ymäy onguetäy!"

Again, the doors remained shut.

"I once knew all the spells in all the tongues of Elves and Men," Gandalf muttered, running his hands over the door again in frustration.

He kept trying, as the Fellowship grew more and more weary. If they could not enter Moria, the only option left would be to risk the Gap of Rohan, where Saruman awaited. Even so, Aragorn had already made Sam bid farewell to Bill the pony, who had carried their supplies. If they had to travel south, it would be without a packhorse. Suethoriel occupied herself by sharpening her sword; so long as it did not glow blue, she at least knew that no Orcs were nearby, planning an ambush. Merry and Pippin began, amazingly enough, to throw rocks into the pool. Considering how ominous the pool was, it did not seem as though anyone would have had to say anything to deter them. Of course, those two Hobbits constantly acted like complete idiots, so Suethoriel was not really surprised by this. She and Aragorn both stood and grabbed the Hobbits.

"Do not disturb the water," Aragorn admonished them.

Gandalf threw his staff to the ground, exasperated. "Oh, it's useless," he muttered, as he sat down on a rock.

Suethoriel looked up. Of course, she had some knowledge of ancient tongues, and also of spells, as Gandalf had taught her. As she examined the door, however, re-reading the inscription above it, a thought occurred to her.

"It's a riddle!" she said. "It says, 'speak, friend, and enter,' but a better translation would be 'SAY friend, and enter!'"

Gandalf looked up. "Yes, you may be right!"

Suethoriel said, loudly and clearly, "Mellon!" The doors immediately began to swing open.

The moment of triumph, however, was spoiled. When they entered the gates, what awaited them was not brightly-lit halls and welcoming dwarves, but corpses scattered across the entrance, long dead.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" cried Gimli, rather melodramatically.

Legolas picked up an arrow. "Goblins!" he said. They all drew weapons and began to back out of the mine, but as they did so, the consequences of the rock-throwing came to take its toll.

A long, slimy tentacle shot out of the water, wrapping itself around Frodo's leg.

"Frodo!" cried Sam, hacking at the tentacle. But more arms thrust out of the water, along with the body of the Watcher, with a gaping, tooth-filled maw. Legolas drew his bow and shot the tentacle holding Frodo high in the air, while Aragorn, Boromir and Suethoriel hacked and slashed at the tentacles. It roared in pain, but did not retreat.

"Into the mine!" yelled Suethoriel, her clear, bell-like voice rising above the sounds of the fight. Aragorn and Boromir ran ahead, taking the Hobbits with them, as she unslung her bow with eerie speed and shot three arrows at once into the Watcher's, for lack of a better word, face. She sprinted after the others, dodging tentacles as she ran.

"Suethoriel!" cried Legolas, and began to run towards her.

"No, stay back!" she slashed at a tentacle about to grab her arm, and dove across the threshold. Legolas darted forward and pulled her away from the doors as the enraged Watcher slammed them shut and, by the sound of it, pulled down half the cliff on top of them.

Silence finally fell. "Are you all right, Suethoriel?" asked Aragorn. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she said, smiling in the light cast by Gandalf's staff. "It is Frodo we should be worrying about."

"I'm fine, thanks to you," Frodo said. "Oh, and Sam, of course," he added, looking at the other Hobbit, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he had forgotten how bravely Sam had hacked at the first tentacle to grab him. But Sam was not a beautiful half-elf, and Frodo found his gaze irresistibly drawn back to Suethoriel, who, despite having just battled a terrible monster, looked as gorgeous as ever.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said. "We must face the dark mines of Moria."

Suethoriel looked at the scattered bodies of the fallen dwarves. "We must hope our presence goes unnoticed," she added. "There are worse things than Orcs."

As the Fellowship made its way up the long first staircase, Gandalf wondered why he had briefly thought that Suethoriel was one of those things. The thought was completely ridiculous, of course - without Suethoriel, they could not possibly succeed.  
**  
*****

"DESTROY IT?!" Sauron yelled, enraged. "How dare you! Such a thing is not possible! Who could bear to destroy my Ring? Who would refuse its power? I know my own skill, none of those fools could bear to destroy their only hope to stand against me! The only way they could is to bring it to Mordor, to Mount Doom, and no one could slip into Mordor without my knowledge!"

The Witch-Princess of Angmar trembled before her Master, but did not back down. "My Lord," she hissed, "can we afford to take that chance? If the Ring were to be destroyed, so would your power, and we of the Nazgûl would share your fate. We would be defeated, forever."

"If they destroy the Ring," Sauron replied, scornfully, turning the full weight of his burning gaze upon her, "then their Rings of Power will be lost, as well. The Three would fade. They would not, they could not, sacrifice what little power they have!"

She felt the full brunt of his burning gaze and shrank back. "What if they could? What if they would? The chance to destroy us, their enemies for so many millennia, would that not be worth it to them?"

Sauron glowered. "No! None can resist the power of the Ring! You should be well aware of this, as you are slave to it! It is not possible! Go and-"

_/the universe warps, shifts, bends.../_

Sauron glowered. "The chance is so small as to be unbelievable, but you are right. No chance, however small, can be overlooked." The Witch-Princess of Angmar slowly raised her head as her Master's rage ebbed. "I must think on this. Go, meet with the Easterling generals."

The Witch-Princess bowed deeply and left her Master to ponder. She swung her lithe form onto her vile steed and took to the sky, turning east. Behind her, Barad-Dûr was outlined with red, pulsing light from Mount Doom. The Winged Nazgûl flew over a barren landscape, and below her the armies of Orcs that Sauron had amassed quivered in fear as her shadow fell upon them.

**[A/N: Author does not hold copyrights to any characters from the Lord of the Rings books or movies. Characters are used here for purposes of parody. Any resemblance of OC's to persons living or dead is unintentional and coincidental.** While I am obviously warping movie canon here, I still want to stick to the established timeline, which means that the Nazgûl don't show up again until The Two Towers. Therefore all scenes with the Witch-Princess of Angmar are going to be in Mordor until I get past The Fellowship of the Ring. The movies and the books don't discuss what's happening in Mordor while the events of the first book/movie are happening, so I am basing these scenes off of conjecture. From a bit of side research, the second in command of the Nazgûl, Khamûl (the only one actually named by Tolkien) is known as "the Easterling," as he was apparently a lord of the Easterlings before becoming a Ringwraith. So here, the Witch-Princess of Angmar is probably stealing his role of dealing with the Easterling armies. A further note: I debated whether or not to "translate" _mellon_ into Suethoriel's Elvish, and decided not to, as that is usually the only word of actual Elvish that people who write Tenth Walker stories know.]


	4. Chapter 4

The Fellowship walked through the darkness of Moria, led by the light of Gandalf's staff and Aragorn's torch. Vast chasms yawned next to them, and they stayed away from the edge. The light of Gandalf's staff reached far down the chasm, showing old mining scaffolding and equipment. It seemed that, despite the clear evidence of Orcs in the mine, Gandalf was not worried about his light illuminating the entire hall. Also, Dwarves had no fear of heights, as they installed no guardrails.

"The true wealth of Moria was not in gold, or jewels, but mithril," Gandalf said, running his hands over veins in the walls that had for some reason been totally ignored by the Dwarves. "Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings, that Thorin gave him."

"That was a kingly gift!" said Gimli.

Suethoriel knew that mithril was far lighter and stronger than steel, and that such a shirt would be worth more than the value of the Shire. Her own mithril armor, under her clothes, was even more valuable. She stroked her shirt self-consciously as she thought of the treasure that lay underneath.

They climbed up a steep stair, with steps that were oddly high considering that Dwarves made them. When they reached the top, Gandalf seemed to be lost. They rested while Gandalf pondered which way to go.

Suethoriel sat down next to Legolas. Frodo and Gandalf were talking about something. Suethoriel supposed that Frodo had finally noticed that Gollum was following them through the mines.

"How I hate this oppressive darkness," Legolas said. "I miss the stars."

"I understand how you feel," Suethoriel replied. "I will not truly rest until we are out of these accursed mines."

"Ah, but once these mines were the wonder of the Dwarves!" Gimli said, sitting down next to them. "They were our greatest pride… and also our downfall. But if only you could have seen them when the halls were filled with light and life! Even an Elf would marvel at their glory!"

Suethoriel smiled, and Legolas's heart squeezed tightly in his chest at the beauty and sadness in that smile. "Perhaps, Master Gimli," she said softly. "But now the mines are dark and empty, and I cannot be at peace."

"No harm shall come to you here, Suethoriel, so long as I can prevent it," Legolas said.

Suethoriel raised her eyebrows in surprise, but before she could respond, Gandalf cried, "Ah! It's that way!"

They followed Gandalf down a stair and into a vast cavern. "I think we can risk a little more light," he said, although considering how his staff had illuminated the chasms next to their path earlier, it seemed as though they had been risking quite a bit of light already, certainly enough to illuminate the hall they now found themselves in.

"Behold, the great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf said, lighting up a bunch of thick columns that went off into the distance in every direction. There appeared to be no walls or furnishings of any kind. Even the wall behind them seemed to have vanished, and the columns seemed to march away into the darkness for miles. Still, as they walked through the endless space, they suddenly, inexplicably, came upon a small alcove with a door, with many skeletons strewn in front of it.

Gimli uttered a harsh cry and ran for the door in the alcove, beyond which a shaft of light glowed in the darkness. The shaft fell squarely upon a tomb. Gimli kneeled in front of it, sobbing. "No… no… no… NO!" he said, words failing him.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Suethoriel read as Gimli continued to make choked sobbing sounds.

"He is dead then. It's as I feared," Gandalf said, although how he could have hoped for Balin to still be alive when no one had heard from him for months and the first thing they saw when they entered Moria was a pile of Dwarf skeletons seemed ridiculous. Gandalf stooped and pulled a much-damaged book from the skeletal grasp of a dead Dwarf.

"We must move on. We cannot linger," Legolas muttered to Suethoriel, concern written clear across his features.

Gandalf read the book, which was apparently some sort of diary or journal. The last lines stood out sharply in Suethoriel's head: "We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They are coming." Gimli, still kneeling on the floor, looked heartbroken. Suethoriel laid a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

As soon as Gandalf finished, Pippin, who for some reason hadn't been paying attention to what were, essentially, the last words of a doomed Dwarf, managed to knock an entire suit of armor and a bucket down a well. Clangs echoed throughout the room as it fell, while the Hobbit stood there, wincing at each one. Pippin was incredibly clumsy and useless and had not even tried to catch the armor as it began to fall, of course.

The Fellowship held their breaths, but nothing seemed to happen, and they each let out a relieved sigh.

"Fool of a Took!" snapped Gandalf. "Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!" He turned away, but suddenly, drums began to beat in the depths, just like the Dwarf journal had mentioned.

Suethoriel pulled her sword out of her sheath. It glowed blue.

"Orcs!" said Legolas.

Boromir rushed to the door, looking out, but had to draw his head sharply back as arrows thudded into the wood. The Orcs must have been very close by when Pippin knocked the armor down, or else they had already known the Fellowship was there and were planning to spring a trap, because otherwise they surely could not have gotten there so quickly. Boromir slammed the door shut hastily barricaded it.

"Get back!" Aragorn said to the Hobbits. "Stay close to Gandalf!"

Everyone drew their weapons, Gimli snarling for revenge, as the Orcs tried to break through the barricade. Legolas, Aragorn and Suethoriel had their bows trained on the door. As soon as a gap appeared in the door, Suethoriel fired an arrow into it, but the Orcs were not deterred. They burst through the door, and she switched to her glowing blue sword.

The battle was fierce. A cave troll burst into the room after the Orcs, and began flailing about with a heavy spiked club. Gimli felled one of the Orcs, and then fell on his back awkwardly. Although Gimli had presumably fought Orcs before, and presumably knew how to handle his axe, he seemed to have no sense of balance. Just as the troll was about to crush him, Legolas hit it with an arrow. The troll furiously turned towards Legolas, intent on crushing him, swinging a chain viciously at the Elf.

"Legolas!" cried Suethoriel, and jumped onto the troll, attempting to shoot straight down into its mouth. But the troll turned its head, and her arrow bounced harmlessly off of its thick hide. She jumped to safety.

Sam was smacking Orcs with a frying pan, even though he had earlier drawn his sword. "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" he said, even though his frying pan was clearly not killing any Orcs. Why he had decided to stop stabbing them with his sword was beyond anyone's guess.

The troll went after the Hobbits. It had Frodo cornered behind a pillar, and began to drag him out from behind it.

"Aragorn!" he cried –

_/the universe bends, warps, shifts…/_

The troll went after Suethoriel. She was cornered behind a pillar, and it began to drag her out from behind it.

"Legolas!" she cried, and slashed at the troll with her sword. With a roar it released her, and Legolas jumped in between them, stabbing the troll with a spear. Merry and Pippin threw rocks at it, which unsurprisingly had no effect whatsoever on the troll except to enrage it further, and it swept Legolas into a wall. He lay still.

"Legolas!" Suethoriel cried again, and tried to shake him awake. However, the troll was still after her, and she was forced to leave his side to dodge its blows. Yet the troll blocked her, and with a roar, viciously stabbed her in the side with its spear. With a look of incredulity and pain, she slowly collapsed to the floor.

The rest of the Fellowship furiously attacked the troll, as all the Orcs had been killed and apparently there we no more Orcs behind them. Merry and Pippin jumped on its head, stabbing ineffectually with their swords. It grabbed Merry and threw him off, amazingly leaving him uninjured. Gimli and Gandalf darted in with their own blades, avoiding its furious swipes. Legolas woke up and, seeing Suethoriel lying on the ground unmoving with a spear stuck in her, leapt to his feet. Cold rage in his eyes, he nocked an arrow and shot the troll in the throat. It made a choking sound and staggered, throwing Pippin from its back, and collapsed.

With the troll vanquished, Legolas ran to Suethoriel. "Oh no…" he whispered as he turned her over, tears in his eyes.

She coughed softly. "She's alive!" cried Aragorn gladly. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," she said, pulling open the new tear in her shirt to reveal her shining mithril armor.

"You are full of surprises," said Gimli, elated that she was still alive

They heard more Orcs coming down the passage. "To the bridge of Khazad-Dûm!" said Gandalf. They ran out the other door in the room, which apparently never occurred to them to do before, and directly into another huge cavern full of columns.

From behind them, a seemingly endless army of Orcs chased them. Then they sprang out of everywhere, including the ceiling, because radioactive spiders had bitten all the Orcs of Moria.

The Fellowship stood surrounded by a ring of Orcs that, unlike before, was not immediately trying to stab them, spear them, or shoot them with arrows. Then they saw a red-orange glow at the other end of the hall. The Orcs cowered in fear and magically vanished.

"What is this new devilry?" asked Boromir.

"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf said. "Run!"

They ran. They burst out onto a narrow stair, once again over a gaping chasm with no guard rails. Boromir almost fell headlong into it, as he was leading the way, but Legolas pulled him back from the brink.

They continued down the stair, leaping over a gap in it as Orcs, who suddenly had bows, shot at them. Suethoriel fired back, her keen eyes picking out targets that somehow her bow could reach even though they were hundreds of yards away and had the advantage of height. She seemed to have completely recovered from the troll's blow.

The Hobbits had to be tossed across the gap, but Gimli refused, saying that Dwarves were not tossed. Why he would choose to risk his life while jumping, when he was a member of the Fellowship, whose purpose was to help and protect the Ringbearer at any cost, even if it hurt his pride, was also beyond anyone's guess. He almost didn't make it, and Legolas had to grab him by the beard to pull him across, causing even more damage to his precious Dwarfish pride than if he had just allowed Aragorn to toss him. But Suethoriel, despite being preoccupied with shooting the Orcs, knew that they would all laugh about this later. She could always trust Gimli for levity in even the direst situations.

Aragorn and Frodo managed to jump from the collapsing stair just in time, and the Fellowship ran for the bridge. But the Balrog seemed to have somehow followed them a different way, and as they ran, Gandalf turned to defy the hellish creature of fire and shadow on the narrow bridge. His staff blazed with white light.

"You shall not pass!" he yelled, slamming his staff into the bridge. The Balrog stepped forward, swinging its fiery whip, but the bridge cracked and it fell into the depths. But just as Gandalf turned away in tired victory, the whip coiled around his ankles, dragging him down into the pit. "Fly, you fools!" he managed to say, before losing his hold on the bridge and falling into the darkness.

"NO!" cried Frodo, trying to run back, but Boromir restrained him, carrying him away after the others.

"Aragorn!" yelled Boromir, and Aragorn reluctantly turned and followed him. Even though before they descended the stair Gandalf had told Aragorn to lead the party, and even though Boromir hated to run away from any fight, Aragorn was the last to leave Moria. It was all right, though, as they had Suethoriel to lead the way.

They ran out into sunshine on the other side of the mountains. For the moment, they were safe from pursuit, as Orcs hated and feared sunlight. They took a moment to grieve. Boromir now restrained Gimli from running back into the mines, although why Gimli would wish so fiercely to go back when he had run out earlier of his own free will is, again, anyone's guess.

Suethoriel stared into the distance, tears stinging her eyes. A single crystal tear fell down her cheek. Legolas, sadness haunting his own eyes, wiped it away. She looked at him; her eyes shining with more unshed tears. "He was like a father to me," she said, voice thick with emotion.

"I know," he said. "We all shall miss him, but his sacrifice was not in vain."

She nodded. It felt as though a gaping hole had opened in her chest, as though Gandalf had physically been part of her heart and been ripped away. Legolas's concern managed to at least heal the ragged edges of that wound, but she knew the loss of Gandalf would hurt for a long time to come.

"Legolas!" Aragorn called. "Get them up." He was referring to the Hobbits, all of whom lay on the ground, completely incapacitated by crying.

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Suethoriel shouted, tears still in her own voice.

"I'm sorry, Suethoriel," Aragorn said. "But by nightfall these hills will be crawling with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlórien."

Out of everyone, the Hobbits were the only ones who had to be manhandled into leaving, as their grief was so overwhelming that they had apparently forgotten that there were hundreds of Orcs in Moria still intent on killing them. But then, the Hobbits were weak, silly, emotional people, who were incapable of any sort of practicality about their situation. Finally the Fellowship was moving, making as good a time as was possible to Lothlórien, a forest of the Elves.

*******

Borfang, general and chieftain of the Easterlings of Rhûn, tried not to show fear as the Winged Nazgûl spiraled down to land in front of him. Dealing with filthy Orcs was bad enough, but Lord Sauron's lieutenants were more horrible than all of the wretched beasts combined. He swallowed hard as the black-cloaked figure dismounted its monstrous steed.

As the figure walked towards him, he bowed deeply, mostly to avoid looking at whatever horror might be inside the shadowy hood. His swarthy face was damp with sweat. The Nazgûl exuded an aura of terror and despair, and he heard the rattling of armor behind him, as his troops shifted nervously, like a herd of spooked horses.

He raised his head and nervously cleared his throat. "What brings you here, my Lord?" he asked, voice shaking slightly.

"I think you mean 'my Lady,'" the Witch-Princess of Angmar said in a voice like ice.

The figure threw back its hood, revealing an iron crown resting on nothing – the Nazgûl had no visible body. Borfang felt terror gnaw at him as he looked into the horrible emptiness-

_/the universe shifts, warps, bends…/_

"I think you mean 'my Lady,'" the Witch-Princess of Angmar said in a voice like ice.

The figure threw back its hood. Borfang gasped. Before him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was terrible in her beauty. Jet-black eyes glittered with cruelty, and long hair, black as the pits of a nightmare, flowed unbound in the breeze, confined only by a thin iron crown upon her brow. Her skin was pale as death, her lips a red so dark it looked black. She smiled cruelly, and Borfang felt fear clutch his heart. He realized he had been standing slack-jawed, gaping at her, and hurriedly bowed his head again. "Yes, my Lady. What do you require of us?"

"Take me to your command tent. My Lord Sauron has your marching orders," she said, and her voice fell upon him like a funeral bell.

"Of… of course my Lady," he said, gesturing before him, mouth dry in barely-suppressed terror.

She swept into his tent, and the lamps seemed to dim in her presence. His lieutenant, who had been reviewing their supply lists, froze in his seat. Her cold gaze swept over him indifferently, and he let out the tiniest sigh of relief as she turned her attention to the maps laid out on the makeshift table.

She gestured Borfang closer, and he reluctantly went to stand by her side. Pointing with a gauntleted hand, she traced along the map. "You are here, at the end of the Ered Lithui. You will travel west along the mountains, to Dagorlad. There you shall enter the Morannon, and await further orders. You will be there in a month."

Borfang licked his lips nervously. "A month, my Lady? We have already marched south for weeks, my men need rest-"

She cut him off with a snarl. "Lord Sauron will not tolerate failure!" He cowered back from her, trembling and visibly paled despite his dark skin. She narrowed her eyes, but her next words were comparatively gentle. "You do want what Lord Sauron offers, do you not? You and your men shall be granted land in the West. Rich, fat land. This is your opportunity to seize it!"

Borfang felt his terror ebb as she held back her aura of fear. Now he could remember Sauron's promises, now his desire for the soft lands of the West was renewed. As chieftain, he would bring his people riches and easy living, easier than the harsh land of Rhûn. With the power of all Sauron's armies, how could the Men of the West stand against them? His greed rekindled, he nodded. "It shall be done, my Lady. We shall double – no, triple our pace! By the time the moon waxes again, we shall be at the Morannon!"

She smiled again. Borfang could not pull his eyes away from the curving of those perfect lips. Oh, she was beautiful. But the smile turned cruel again, and he again felt the terror of Mari-Dûr, Black Lady of the Nazgûl. "And if you are not there in a month's time," she hissed, "I will return, and I shall be most displeased."

She swept out of the tent, leaving Borfang to clutch his chest in terror – it felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest, it was beating so fast. His lieutenant lay unconscious on the floor. He heard a high, piercing cry as the Winged Nazgûl took flight, and fell to his knees in desperate relief.

**[A/N: Author does not hold copyrights to any characters from the Lord of the Rings books or movies. Characters are used here for purposes of parody.** Once again I had difficulty deciding how much to warp canon. I've been sticking a bit closer to canon in the scenes with the Witch-Princess of Angmar, if for no other reason than there isn't really any canon there (in the movies, at least), but in making her visible to mortal eyes I've kicked canon in the nuts. I decided that in order to keep up with Suethoriel it was necessary. Reviews are appreciated; it lets me know what's working in this story.]


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